Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to discuss this issue and I thank the Minister of State for making himself available to respond.

I am aware of about 200 farms in south west Offaly, and some in east Galway and in Westmeath, that have been under water since July. This is not an occurrence that happens every few years. It is, unfortunately, an annual event now. Some of these areas have been designated as special areas of conservation, SACs, and restricted agricultural practices, in the best weather and circumstances, ordinarily prevail in these areas. As referred to previously, however, and evidenced only last week, and last year as well, this situation is not being resolved through minimalist clearance of pinch points on the Shannon, as evidenced by the impact of minor works in recent years. It does not seem to be a situation that can be resolved with the current approach to the situation, where there are conflicting interests regarding water levels between the Office of Public Works, OPW, the ESB, local authorities, Waterways Ireland and other agencies.

The situation could be resolved if there was a single agency that could bring all these separate interests together and reach an agreement with local farming communities and organisations to maintain and adjust water levels to meet the requirements of all concerned. I refer to water levels in locations such as Meelick. I am thinking, in particular, of those dependent on these lands for their agricultural practice and livelihoods, and enabling them to maintain standards of living that one would expect them to enjoy from having such lands available to them.

It may be the case that there is an unspoken practice, within the OPW, which deems it appropriate for these lands to be flooded to safeguard other areas along the path of the Shannon as it nears the sea and Ardnacrusha. If that is the case, it should be stated openly, brought to the attention of those affected by it and there should be a discussion regarding adequate compensation to deal with the impact on those 200 farms. The effects are even wider than that and I know other representatives in the area have also contacted the Minister of State's Department, and others, to seek a resolution to this issue.

As it stands, without any such flooding, major restrictions on farm practices are imposed by the SAC designation, but those impacted are prepared to work within the confines of those regulations. They cannot do so, however, because of this ongoing flooding. The weather has not been so detrimental as to cause this situation. The issue arises from the management, maintenance and delivery of adequate resources within the Shannon region to meet the needs of all the bodies to which I referred. Those who suffer the most and who suffer regularly appear to be those constituents who have been in touch with me, namely, farmers and families in south-west Offaly, east Galway and parts of Westmeath. I ask the Minister of State to respond to the various requests that I and other bodies associated with those farmers have made with a view to meeting and resolving this issue. I refer to being upfront and straight regarding the efforts and deliberations of the OPW and to clarify if there is some unspoken action that allows these lands to be flooded to such an extent that farming, already restricted by the SAC designation, is not now possible.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. As we approach the winter season, it is opportune that we consider our preparedness as a country to respond to severe weather events such as flooding. I am acutely aware of the impact that the recent flooding has had on individual households and on communities at large, and specifically in the midlands. Since becoming Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, I have visited several areas affected by recent storms, witnessed the damage caused and spoken with the people and business owners directly affected in Kenmare, Kilmallock, Skibbereen, Bandon, Bantry, Clifden and elsewhere. I compliment and thank the staff of the OPW, the local authorities, the emergency services and those volunteers who have provided assistance to all of those communities that have been affected by the August storms, including in the midlands.

The Government's framework for major emergency management underpins co-ordination of responses to all emergencies in Ireland, including flooding. Through that framework, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government is the lead Department with national responsibility for co-ordinating the response to severe weather emergencies, including flooding. Local authorities are designated as the lead agency for responding to flooding events within their administrative areas and for ensuring that effective arrangements are put in place to receive and respond to public service weather warnings issued by Met Éireann.

I recognise the proactive planning of the local authorities in putting in place temporary flood defences and putting response staff on standby in preparation for these recent weather events, including those in the midlands. Their planning and rapid response to flood events helped to mitigate the damage and devastation caused. Each local area has its own individual plan in the event of flooding. An Garda Síochána, the civil defence and the HSE are all involved in these plans and I acknowledge their work in responding to the recent floods as well.

Turning to planning to mitigate flood damage in the future, on 3 May 2018, the OPW launched 29 flood risk management plans and a €1 billion investment in flood risk over the coming decade. These plans are the output from the catchment flood risk assessment and management, CFRAM, programme, the largest ever flood risk study carried out in the State. The plans set out measures proposed to address the flood risk nationally, and include 119 new schemes to protect towns, villages and cities. Procurement for 60 of the 119 flood relief schemes is now progressing and, in some places, is complete. These schemes, with the 46 already complete, will mean that 95% of at-risk properties will be protected by flood relief schemes.

In addition, the OPW is co-ordinating Ireland's whole-of-government approach to flood risk management across three strategic policy areas: prevention, protection and preparedness. The interdepartmental flood policy co-ordination group was established to examine the potential non-structural measures that will inform the ten-year implementation strategy of the flood risk management plans and to ensure the preparation of policies that can benefit communities directly. The Government also established the Shannon flood risk State agency co-ordination working group in 2016 to support existing plans to address flooding on the Shannon and to enhance ongoing co-operation of all State agencies involved with the River Shannon, to which Deputy Cowen referred.

The group has taken several significant decisions since its establishment, including targeted maintenance activities at several locations, trialling the lowering of levels in Lough Allen and a study on the cause, degree and rate of restriction downstream of Parteen weir. In October 2019, the group agreed to a €7 million strategic programme of maintenance and the removal of constrictions or pinch points, as Deputy Cowen called them, on the bed of the River Shannon at the Callows region between Athlone and Meelick weir. Progression of these works will be subject to the full environmental impact assessments required and planning consent to proceed. The decision to undertake these projects was noted by the Government in December 2019 and Waterways Ireland has advised that it has commenced work on advancing the various interventions for these works, with implementation expected to commence in 2021. This investment, as well as helping to manage flooding, can support the tourism, navigation and agricultural sectors for this region.

Regarding water levels on the River Shannon, the ESB manages the weirs, sluices and other works that are part of the Shannon Scheme, and the water levels on Lough Allen, Lough Ree and Lough Derg.

8 o’clock

The levels in between those lakes are managed by Waterways Ireland for navigation purposes. Both organisations are members of the group to which I referred earlier and communicate on a daily basis to ensure a co-ordinated approach to managing the water levels on the river. Queries arising from the protocols of the managing of the water levels at any given time are directed both to the ESB and Waterways Ireland.

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for the details in his response. In order to deal with this issue, I will concentrate specifically on the fact that the Government established a Shannon flood risk State agency co-ordination working group in 2016. Its specific remit was to support existing plans in place to address flooding. As the Minister of State alluded to, measures that have been undertaken further to that include €7 million towards a strategic programme of maintenance and the removal of constrictions or pinch points on the bed of the River Shannon at the Callows region between Athlone and Meelick weir. Those works are ongoing and have not had the desired impact or effect we hoped or envisaged. That must be addressed.

The agency's other duty was to enhance the ongoing co-operation of all State agencies involved with the River Shannon. I am here and raising this issue for the second year running. It is impacting at least 200 farms, their livelihoods and potential to provide livelihoods in the future. That would suggest that the co-ordinated approach is not working. The protocol to which the Minister of State referred that seemed to direct us towards the ESB and Waterways Ireland to deal with levels and their maintenance between Athlone and Meelick is not working. That protocol is not sufficient because if it were, we would not have the flooding or the diversity of opinion about the management of those weirs as has been relayed to me.

It is now incumbent on those with responsibility within the Government to again bring together that risk agency co-ordination working group, lay those questions at its table, seek resolutions from those at the table with responsibility and who had given commitments that such a co-ordinated approach would meet with the desired impact, resolution, success and support of those agencies and, especially, the people who depend on these lands for a livelihood. That is not the case. As I said earlier, the agency has failed in its responsibility in that area and, as a result, I implore the Minister of State to reconvene that group in the short term and meet the disaffected farmers and the representative associations to which I alluded in order that he is properly armed and has at his disposal all the relevant information. He should have not only have access to the information provided by those at the table who have failed to date but also the input of the people who have been severely impacted by the group's neglect and have little hope of survival if a resolution is not forthcoming as a result of the meeting I have proposed.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In his earlier contribution, the Deputy asked me to meet, to be upfront and straight and to resolve issues. I can commit to two of those things. I commit to meetings and to be upfront and straight. The Deputy knows me long enough to understand that.

As for the resolution of the issue, flooding on the Shannon predates the foundation of the State. It is a slow-moving river and we all know the issues associated with it. We know where communities, man-made obstacles and agricultural land have interfaced with the Shannon. The river flows through my constituency, albeit in a different context through the estuary. It is a highly complicated body of water, running from Cavan to Kerry.

The Deputy is absolutely right that people have been inundated over the past number of years and terrible devastation has been foisted upon them. Over the past nine weeks, I have seen seven major flood events. They are happening more frequently and we must contend with the reality of the rate at which our climate is changing. The Deputy, and other Deputies, can support me on this. Our regulatory and policy platform has not changed as rapidly as it should have to take into account the changing environmental considerations. Deputies will agree with me when I say that the regulations, directives and legislation which control the manner in which we can deal with flood events frustrates, to varying degrees, the process by which we can respond to people. It might sound like passing the buck but the reality is that the powers available to the Houses of the Oireachtas have been set out under several items of legislation.

Deputy Cowen asked if I would meet the relevant parties and I have no problem doing that. Farming organisations have already been in touch with me and I intend to go to Offaly, Galway, Westmeath and that part of the Shannon basin as quickly as I can over the next couple of weeks. I had hoped that the Deputy might be available to join me because he is right and I do want to see it first-hand. We need to have an honest, upfront and clear discussion in this House and the Upper House about how our policy, legislative and regulatory platform is designed to cope with these kinds of events, which are becoming more frequent.